


Therapy Hours

by daddybarnes1



Series: Therapy [1]
Category: MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stucky - Fandom
Genre: Badass Female OC, Bucky Barnes Goes to Therapy, F/M, Graphic Violence, Graphic abuse, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Protective Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, and also therapy, and trying her best, bucky deserved better, hydra are scum, shes also adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:34:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daddybarnes1/pseuds/daddybarnes1
Summary: Niana Cross is just an ordinary girl, but shes got an extraordinary job to do.And she'll be damned if she isn't good at her job.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Therapy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656106
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. The Path Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve calls his therapist, Sam's a good friend, and Niana finally meets James Barnes - or what's left of him.

Niana Cross didn't think she was anything special, not in the grand scheme of things. Sure, she had a pretty special job, but she was still just an average looking girl that loved watching horror movies and eating pizza. 

The simplest explanation for why some people thought she was special is; she knew all the Avengers on a first name basis. 

She started off as Tony Stark's therapist. She was contacted by the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, just after Tony's miraculous return from Afghanistan and asked to evaluate him. Stark saw something in the girl, something that he trusted, so he kept her on as his personal on-call therapist. (He payed her well to make up for the weird hours he kept.) He spoke to her, confided in her more than he did anyone else - including Pepper Potts.

Pepper doesn't hold it against Niana. In fact, she's glad Tony has someone he can talk to. She has even grown close to the girl herself, the two becoming best friends.

When Steve Rogers was defrosted and tossed into the 21st century, both Tony and Fury recommended Niana to him. Steve figured that if even Tony 'I-Don't-Need-Help' Stark said the girl would be good for him, she had to be something special. No one could have guessed just how close the newly acquainted pair would become. Steve was like the brother Niana never had, and she was the little sister he always wanted.

After the events of New York in 2012, she started seeing all the Avengers regularly - except Thor, of course, who had to return to Asgard but promised a conversation upon his return. They were all struggling, some more than others, and Niana was happy to take some of the weight from them. They all grew to love her, in their own weird and wonderful ways. (Don't judge, Natasha shows her love by destroying your enemies and apparently paying off your student loans.)

It was during the events of DC in 2014 that things got the most interesting for Niana. A brief phone call from Steve, babbling almost incomprehensibly about his long-lost best friend, had her ~~stealing~~ _borrowing_ one of Tony's private jets and heading straight to his hospital room.

The Winter Soldier had almost killed Steve twice and then saved him, all in the space of one afternoon. Sam Wilson, a new face that Niana analysed as quickly as her brief glance allowed, had found Steve unconscious on the bank of the Potomac with a very dazed and bruised Bucky Barnes hovering over him. The man was repeating a single phrase over and over.

' **Till the end of the line**.'

Barnes had handed himself over, surrendering all his weapons and allowing Natasha to cuff him. He required just as much hospital attention as Steve, so the two were separately transported to a safe location instead of a public hospital. (Which Niana later found out was Tony's doing, he knew she would want him to help Steve.)

Niana sat by Steve's bedside, holding his hand gently in her own. He hadn't said a word since she got here. He was deep in thought, staring off into space, so she left him to it. For now, she focused her attention on Wilson.

"How did you meet Steve?" She asked. Sam smirked and looked over at the other man.

"This asshole kept lapping me on my morning run." Sam told her. "Every time he went past, without fail, he’d go-"

"On your left." Steve finished for him; his voice was quiet.

"Stevie." Niana said softly, drawing his attention over to her. Without the girl saying anything else, his eyes filled with tears.

" _God_ , Nia." He choked out. "He was _right there,_ and he had no idea who I was. All that time I spent mourning him, coming to terms with the fact that my best friend was _gone_ , only to find out that _Hydra_ had him the _whole fucking t_ -"

His voice finally gives out, breaking as he begins to sob. Niana stands from her chair, gently wrapping her arms around Steve's shoulders and letting him cry into her shirt.

In all the time she had spoken to Steve, he had never allowed himself to really let his emotions out. He had mentioned his best friend, how living without him by his side was hard, but he had never cried. And now he was letting it all out, and Niana found that she too was teary eyed.

Sam felt like he was intruding on something a little too personal, so he rose from his seat and left to grab the three of them something to drink. He knew Steve was in good hands from the way he spoke about the younger girl.

Niana let Steve hold on to her like a lifeline, even if she thought his hands were a little too tight on her arm; she would have some bruises later, but Steve needed her right now.

“Can you h-help him?” Steve hiccuped, his grip on her momentarily tightening. “Can you t-try to h-help him?”

“Of course, Steve.” Niana told him, softening her voice in an attempt to calm him down. “I’ll sit with him every day if I have to. He’ll get the best care possible.”

Steve lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, like he had expected her to say no, and relaxed further into her arms. It barely took ten minutes of quiet reassurances from Niana for him to drift off, the stress of an insanely long day finally catching up to him.

Sam ambled back in, two cups of tea in hand and a bottle of water tucked under his arm.

“He asleep?” He asked, setting her cup down beside her.

“Yeah.” Niana replies, gently running her fingers through the blonde’s hair.

“Barnes really did a number on him.” Sam commented, pointing to Steve’s medical file which had been left on his bedside table. Niana makes a point of turning away from it; she didn’t want to see how close to death her brother had been. And that file was far too thick for comfort.

“Barnes was brainwashed, he was just doing what he was told.” Niana said, her voice taking a slightly defensive tone at Sam’s jibe. She hadn’t met the man yet, but she had already decided to take him on as a patient - not just for Steve’s benefit, but to try and help a man who had nothing. And she was very protective of those she tried to help.

“Cause you’re an expert on Hydra’s inner workings, are you?” Sam scoffed, raising his eyebrows at her. She knew he was baiting her into a reaction, wanting to see what kind of person she was, but she willingly gave it.

She raised her eyebrows right back and pointed over to her bag. It was overflowing with paperwork, scribbled notes, and had her laptop sticking out of it.

“As of the flight over here, yes.” She snapped back, pausing and lowering her voice when Steve stirred in her arms. “I went through as much of Hydra’s files on Barnes as I could decrypt without alerting any government agencies that might be watching.”

She paused for a second, a look of sympathy washing over her. “What they did to him, god Sam, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

“He’s still hurt people.” Sam told her.

“Yes, and the Hydra agents that ordered those hits will pay for it - probably with their lives.” Niana said sharply, meeting his stare dead on. “Barnes was just a weapon; you can’t persecute him for the fact that they used his body to do their bidding. You don’t blame the gun, Sam, you blame the one that fired it.”

“ _He_ fired it.” Sam snipped back. “Someone has to pay, you know that.”

“Not him.” Niana says, her voice quieting again. “He’s suffered for almost seventy years, don't you think that’s enough? Now shut up before you wake Steve.”

Sam said nothing for a few minutes, allowing the tension in the room to ease off slightly. Then he sighed. He saw her point, and he had to admit that his own opinion was clouded. He had seen the Winter Soldier in action, saw his body cause harm to innocent civilians. But she was right, he wasn’t in control. It wouldn’t be fair to blame this on him.

“Fine. But I’m still mad about my car.” He joked, shaking his head at the thought of his wrecked vehicle.

Niana had to stifle her laugh, not wanting to wake Steve. Nat had told her about Sam’s steering wheel being ripped right out of his hands while she was on her way in, it was extremely funny if you ignore the circumstances. Sam smiled lightly, counting her laugh as a win.

Ten minutes passed in an almost comfortable silence before Niana looked back over at Sam. He could tell she was nervous about whatever she had to say, her cup of tea was long gone but she was still fiddling with her cup, so he tried to look as comforting as possible. 

“In Hydra’s files, there was a mission report.” She starts, her voice wavering. “It was buried under some pretty trivial junk, so I don’t think anyone thought it necessary to go through it.”

She paused, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Sam nodded for her to go on.

“December 16th, 1991.” She whispers. “The car crash that killed Tony’s parents.”

Sam, despite not knowing Tony personally - or at all, apart from what he’d seen on the news - felt his heart break for the man. Hydra was the reason his parents were dead, Barnes was the one to kill them; under orders or not, it was his hands. That would be a difficult thing for anyone to accept.

“I have to tell him. Right?” Niana asks him, her eyes dampening at the thought. “It has to be me, before he finds the file himself.”

“Can you do it?” Sam asks her back. She looks slightly confused, so he elaborates. “I mean, can you be the one to give him that information without losing his trust - or just losing him? Is he the type to shoot the messenger?”

“Me and Tony, our relationship is complicated.” Niana tells him, her voice wavering. “He won’t hold it against me personally, but I’ve worked really hard for quite some time to get him to a place where he’s even remotely ready to come to terms with their deaths. And to now find out that it wasn’t an accident? That it was actually murder? This could destroy so much of the progress that he’s made.”

Sam thinks that over for a while, understanding that the situation is more complex than she’s letting on. It would be rude for her to discuss Tony’s private affairs, of course he understood that.

“Is there an alternative?” Sam asks. “Can this be buried; does he even have to find out at _all_?”

Niana shakes her head. “If I don’t tell him and he finds out some other way, which he will cause he’s too nosy for his own good, he’ll lose any and all trust he has for me. We don’t keep secrets from each other, that’s rule one.”

“You have rules?” Sam frowns, but his tone of voice is amused.

“I’m Iron Man’s therapist, of course we have rules.” She grins wryly, pausing to assess Sam. “We’re very similar, Sam. You and me. I can see why Steve was drawn to you. I guarantee we get into a fight within the first month, but I think we could be great friends.”

“A month?” Sam asks, tilting his head. “I give it two weeks.” He reaches across Steve’s bed, Niana meeting him halfway to shake his hand.

“We’ll see.” She concedes, laughing.

“Stop laughing before you wake up sleeping beauty.” Sam jokes, pointing to the man still asleep on her chest.

Niana calms, returning to gently playing with Steve’s hair.

“It’ll be hard, telling Tony.” She says after some contemplation. “But it has to be me, and it has to be soon.”

Sam nods. He understands that the less time spent holding this sensitive information from Tony, the better.

“When?” He asks.

“Once Steve is out of here, and once I’ve finally had a conversation with Barnes.” Niana tells him. “I’ll have to go to Tony with more than just ‘he was brainwashed’ for him to consider continuing to help them. A full evaluation on his physical and mental health seems necessary, given the circumstances.”

“Them?” Sam questions. “What do you mean ‘continue helping them’?”

“Steve will defend Barnes no matter what.” She explains. “If Barnes goes, Steve goes.”

“This puts you in a bit of an awkward position.” Sam sighs, suddenly feeling rather sorry for the young woman. 

“They’re not just my patients, either of them.” Niana smiles. “Tony’s one of my closest friends, and Steve is my big brother. If I go about this in the right way, I might just be able to save their friendship.”

“That’s a lot of weight to carry alone.” Sam says, the ‘therapist’ in him coming out a little.

“It is how it is.” She says with a noncommittal shrug.

Sam has a moment of admiration for her strength, and suddenly he sees why Steve and Natasha were so adamant on her flying out. She was a ray of sunshine, and Steve could definitely use some sunshine in his life. Sam was glad that Steve had her.

“If you need a hand carrying it, though, let me know.” Sam says quietly, sending a small smile her way.

“Thanks, Sam.” Niana smiles back.

“Of course, Niana.” He says. She waves her free hand at him.

“Most of my friends call me Ana.” She tells him. Sam nods, a wry grin overtaking his face.

“I’ll let you know when you make my friends list, Niana.” He laughs.

Niana gasps in mock outrage, her jaw comically dropping.

“Oh, that’s how it is?”

“Oh, that’s how it is.”

The path ahead was only going to get more complicated, but Niana could handle it. Or at least, she hoped she could. Steve deserved the chance to have his best friend back, and Niana would be damned if that chance was taken from him.

***

Four hours later, Steve had finally woken up and was chatting quietly with Sam while Niana poured back over her notes. Most of Steve’s superficial wounds had scabbed over or healed completely, and he could almost feel his ribs knitting back together.

Niana decided to leave him in Sam’s capable hands and finally meet her newest patient. Steve had originally wanted to go with her, going so far as to raise his voice when she denied him, but she wouldn’t back down.

“Steve,” She said quietly, raising an eyebrow. “If you can get out that bed without flinching or falling over, you can come with me.”

He didn’t even bother attempting, just lay back down on his bed with a pout. Sam tried to smother his laughter, but the childish look on Steve’s face had him loudly doubling over.

Niana sent them both smiles before following the Doctor out of the room.

She was nervous, there was no denying that. In the past two years she had heard a lot about James Barnes, stories from Steve, and even a few from Tony (those that he remembered from Howard anyway). But the things she had read, what she knew they had done to him? She wasn’t sure whether to expect the Bucky from Steve’s memories, or the one who almost killed him.

For now he was being kept in a modified cell. He had been given a cot, nailed down to the floor, as well as a table with two chairs - which Niana thought looked suspiciously like an interrogation table. She ignored how much that bothered her for now, waving the guards back as she went to enter the room.

“Ma’am, we can’t let you go in alone.” One of the men said, reaching to grab her arm.

Niana smacked his hand away, levelling him with a sharp glare.

“You can and you will.” She tells him. “All your presence will do is scare him. If I need help, I’m sure you’ll hear me scream.”

The sarcastic comment was probably uncalled for, but Niana was slightly proud of the way the guard stuttered as she opened the door and walked in.

Bucky lifted his head as she entered. He was crouched in the empty corner of the room, muttering to himself. He was in loose sweatpants and a sleeveless white cotton t-shirt.

Niana took a seat on one side of the table, crossing her arms where he could see them.

“Hello.” She said, her voice so low that even she almost couldn’t hear it. “My name is Niana Cross, you can call me Ana.”

Bucky made no move to acknowledge her, apart from momentarily glancing her way.

“I wanted to see how you were doing. Can you sit with me?” Niana pointed to the chair.

He looked at the chair as if it had done him personal offence, but got up and took a seat across from her at the table. 

Up close, Niana could see just how badly injured he was. His face had some major bruising all over, his eyebrow and lip were both split, he had a black eye, and some bruising across his neck. She could also see the scarring where the metal of his arm met the flesh. It was horribly red and puckered.

“Steve’s okay, I left him recovering in his own room.” Niana told him, her voice still soft. “He wants you to know that he’s okay.”

“Please d-don’t.” He stuttered out; his voice was rough and strangled.

“Don’t what?” Niana asked, searching his face.

“The _name_.” He choked out. 

"Steve?” Niana confirmed. He flinched so hard that she wondered if he was actually in pain. She quickly backtracked, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, we wont call him that." She said quietly. "Do you want to call him another name, something that isn’t difficult for you to hear or say?"

He looked to be thinking over her words, but made no move to answer. Niana gave him some time, watching as he opened and closed his mouth multiple times before giving up. 

"Grant, his middle name is Grant." Niana told him. "How about we call him that for now, yeah?"

He said the name a few times quietly to himself, then looked up at her and nodded. Niana gave him a soft smile, and continued.

"Grant asked me to check up on you, and to see if I could help you." She told him, assessing his reactions. He grimaced at the mention of Steve, even under his pseudonym, but seemed confused at the second half of her statement. 

"How?" He asked.

"I'm a therapist. His, actually, along with other members of the Avengers. St- _Grant_ wanted me to help you, in any way I could." Niana watched as he tensed up at the mention of the Avengers, but seemed to focused on her to have much of a reaction. 

"Said something." Bucky frowned, dropping his head so he was staring at the table in front of him. 

Niana had dealt with enough PTSD and trauma to know that she needed to tread carefully; pushing too hard could topple him over the edge of his delicate sanity.

"Grant did? What did he say?" Niana asked him.

Both his fists clenched on the table, the metal arm clicking and locking as the joints moved. 

"T-to the end of the line." He stuttered out, swiping his eyes as they teared up slightly. "I don't- _meaning_."

"Grant told me that was something you used to say to each other growing up." Niana explained. "It was your way of saying you would always be there for one another."

Bucky nodded.  
"Saw something, maybe?"

Niana tried not to frown at his use of 'maybe'.  
"You saw something? Was it a memory?" She asks.

He lets out a sharp breath, and shakes his head.  
"I can't- I can't tell." His voice is the most quiet she's heard it. "Real?"

Yeah, that's what she was afraid of.  
  
Niana had an idea, but it wasn't exactly one of her best or safest plans. She rolled up the sleeve of her cardigan and leaned her left hand across the table towards him.

"Take my hand." She says.

He looks at her, confused.  
"What?"

"Take my hand." She repeats, nodding down at her exposed wrist.

" _No!_ Dangerous." He says, pointing to himself while looking at her like she's crazy.

"Trust me." She whispers, locking eyes with him.

He reaches out with his flesh hand, hesitating above hers. Niana nods, gently moving his hand so it's wrapped around her wrist and his fingers and pressed in. Niana feels her heart start to race. This was not exactly her smartest plan, let the brainwashed assassin get hold of you, but he needed comfort.

"You feel that? My pulse racing, blood pumping through my veins. This is real." She says softly. "I'm going to help you, as much as I can. Will you trust me to help you?"

He doesn't let go, quietly contemplating her words. Finally, he pulls his hand back and nods his head.

Niana smiles at him.  
"Well, you know who I am. What can I call you? Do you know your name?"

Immediately, he grimaces and shakes his head, dropping his line of sight so he was looking at the table.  
"Difficult, hurts."

Niana nods her head in understanding.  
"That's okay, I’ll call you whatever you're comfortable with."

"I can choose." He says, both a question and a statement. 

Niana has the harsh realisation that this may be the first choice he's made for himself in seventy years. She struggles to stop herself tearing up.  
"Of course you can, choose whatever you want." She says, her voice noticeably more thick.

He takes a minute, frowning in thought, then looks back up at her.  
"Barnes. J-James Buchanan Barnes is me? Grant said."

Niana confirms with a nod.  
"Yeah, that’s you. If you want me to call you Barnes, I will."

A quick glance at her watch tells her that she needs to head back to Steve now.  
"It was nice to meet you Barnes. If you need to speak with me again before I come back, tell the guard to call me. I'll be here whenever you need me."

He nods at her, rising from the seat and retreating to the corner of the room he was in before. Niana smiled gently at him, before knocking to be let out. She closes the door behind her, and turns to face the guard - the same one who tried to stop her from entering in the first place. She definitely wasn't his biggest fan.

"I'm clearing Barnes for release into my custody." She tells him, moving to sign the forms on the table.

The guard, who's name she hadn't bothered to learn, stepped up beside her and shook his head. 

"I'm not sure that's safe, miss." He says back. 

"It's what he needs." She explains to him, handing over her filled out report. "He's not violent and even if he becomes so, i will have people around who can handle that."

"What he _needs_ is to be in a secured space with 24 hour armed guards." The guard says, speaking slowly like she was a stupid child. "Or have you not seen the damage and destruction he's caused?"

"He will be secure, but he will be in an environment that will allow him to heal and to come to terms with his new reality." Niana says, her voice bordering on yelling. "He doesn't need _guarded,_ especially by armed soldiers. This man is the longest serving POW in history, I wont let you lock him up like his abusers did."

"He needs to be in the hands of people capable of containing him if he snaps." The guard said, gritting his teeth at her.

"Oh, so the Avengers aren't capable?" Niana sassed, resting a hand on her hip. "They can fight off an entire alien army, but one man with a metal arm and suddenly they're useless?"

"That's not what i-" He tried to backtrack. Niana held up her free hand to stop him.

"I don't care what you meant." She tells him firmly. "This is not your decision, it's mine. He's leaving here with me."

The guard straightens up, towering over her small frame.  
"You're not-"

"I'm sorry, are you about to tell me what _I'm_ capable of doing?" Niana cuts him off. Suddenly, every mannerism she's picked up from years of spending time with Tony is bubbling to the surface. 

"No, of course not." He says, trying to placate her.

"Good." Niana said, pulling out her phone and sending a quick text to Tony. She knew he would support her with whatever she needed. "Tony Stark will be sending someone to transport Bucky and Steve to the med bay in Avengers Tower, that's my final word on the matter."

The man shifted, sending Niana a look that said he didn't agree. Niana raised her eyebrows.  
"Is that understood, _sir?"_

"Yes, _ma'am_." He snapped back, though he didn't sound completely sincere. 

All her time spent with Tony had given her one advantage over this arrogant idiot; she knew how to intimidate people bigger than her. Being as short as she is, and being much more naive than the billionaire genius, Tony had taken it upon himself to teach her how to hold her own when he wasn't around to flaunt his name.

Niana took a step closer to the guard, forcing him to meet her eyes. She kept eye contact and waited until he nervously swallowed to begin speaking.

"If you try to find a way around this, a way around _me?_ Well, _then_ you will find out firsthand **exactly** what I'm capable of." Niana snarled at him. 

She continued to glare at him until he nodded, then she turned on her heels and walked away without looking back. 

From inside his room, for the first time in seventy years, Bucky Barnes smiled.

***

Niana returned to Steve's room feeling much more content in her decision to help Bucky. She felt like she had managed to catch a glimpse of who he used to be underneath the persona that had been forced upon him. She wanted to help him, she really did.

Sam gave her a smile as she sat down, linking her hand with Steve's.  
"How did it go?" He asked.

"Surprisingly well." She breathes out, giving them both a tight lipped smile.

"Tell me how he is, please." Steve asks, looking over at her.

Niana hesitates for a second, but decides that it would be best to let him know what he's in for.  
"He's not violent if that's what you're really asking. He's mostly just confused. I think hes been having hallucinations mixed in with memories, he said he can't always tell what's real."

"That doesn't sound 'surprisingly well' to me." Sam said, his eyebrows raised.

"After being tortured for seventy years? To be blunt, I think it's a miracle he's even functioning." Niana told him.

"But that's not all, is it?" Steve asks, frowning at her. Damn his ability to read her like a book.

"No." She agrees with a sigh. "I want Banner and Cho to give him a full work over, brain and body scans. The scarring on that arm looks horrific, I don't want any underlying damage to set back his recovery."

"Why brain scans?" Sam asked. Niana gave him a look, wondering if he missed the memory loss and torture part. He rolled his eyes and kept going. "I mean, I know hes an amnesiac but is there more than that?"

This was far more than Niana originally intended to tell them, but she knew they could be trusted. 

"He had some bruising on the side of his face. It looked older than the fight and I was wondering if they used some form of electro-stimulation to wipe his memory." Niana explains. "That could leave lasting effects, and I need to know what to expect. His speech is pretty broken, he has trouble forming full sentences. That’s pretty common in brain injuries."

"But he's okay." Steve says. Niana doesn't have the heart to tell him no, he isn't, so she tries to avoid answering.

"He has trouble saying your name, it's possible they used you to torture him." Niana's heart breaks at the expression on Steve's face. "And I don't want to lie to you, Stevie, it might be a while before you can see him in person again. But I'm going to make sure he gets the best treatment possible."

"Thank you, Nia." Steve says, smiling at her despite the tears in his eyes. 

"Tony's going to send transport for you and Barnes, to get take you both to Avengers tower in New York." Niana says, looking over the reply from Tony with all the details of their transfer.

"Really? Why?" Steve asks, looking confused and slightly bewildered.

"Because I asked him to, and because I think it's the safest place for you two right now." Niana explains. "I'm sorry, Sam, I didn't factor you in to that plan. I just wanted to get them out of here."

"Don't worry about me." Sam tells them both. "I can't drop my work and disappear yet. I'll have to set a few things up before I can come out to NY."

Niana nods in understanding, then looks back over to Steve.

"I hope he's okay." Steve said, more to himself than to his friends.

Standing up to wrap an arm around his shoulders, Niana pulls him in for a hug.  
"He's not." She told him softly. "But he will be."

Or at least, she hoped he would be.


	2. Adjustment of Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niana tries her best, Steve pushes his limits, and Tony puts his nose where it doesn't belong.

The next morning was a train wreck from the start, for many reasons.

1\. Steve decided during the night that he was healed enough to take a shower on his own, which ended with him being passed out on the floor with a new head injury. Since Niana and Sam had both retired to the latter's house for the night, it was only when the overnight nurse did her rounds that she found the blonde idiot on his bathroom floor - lying in a pool of his own blood. He had a major concussion and four new stitches. 

2\. Bucky had some form of nightmare or hallucination that meant he was refusing to let anyone remotely near him. He threw one of the chairs at a guard - it was the annoyingly rude guard from yesterday, so Niana was content to let the offence slide - and was curled back into the far corner of his room, crying while shaking from head to toe.

3\. Tony had sent his vehicles for transportation, but clearly did not factor in that neither Sam nor Natasha would not be joining them on the journey - Sam had things to sort out before heading to the tower, and Natasha was trying to do some damage control at Capitol Hill. There were two separate transport vans, one for each super soldier. That meant that Niana could either stay with a concussed and delirious Steve, or she could stay with a traumatised and shaking Bucky. 

4\. The annoyingly rude guard - who Niana was moments away from _stabbing with her high heel_ \- was now adamant that Bucky was not leaving with her due to his violent outburst.

Niana was fed up with the day, and it was only eight am.

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked her, sitting in the chair next to her.

He was here to help see the two super soldiers off, and also as extra muscle power if needed - Niana was only one tiny girl after all. Niana lifted her head from her hands, rolling her shoulders and getting into business mode. She pulled out her phone and went to Tony's contact. 

"First, I'm getting Tony to fire that guard and file a harassment lawsuit. He's been on my ass since the second I got here." Niana told him. "Then, I'm going to hopefully calm Barnes enough that I can get him into the van. If that's successful, I'll get Steve into his and get us on the road."

Sam nodded, watching as the woman twisted her hair into a bun and put on her game face. He couldn't help but admire her strength, especially for being so young. It was no wonder the Avengers trusted her so much.

Her phone dinged with a simple text from Tony that said _'done'_ , and another - much more informative one - from Pepper. That woman was a godsend.

_'The guards name is Ron Marks, he's had seven different lawsuits filed against him since he started at SI two years ago. All were dropped before either me or Tony were alerted to them, probably bribed. He's being escorted from the premises now.'_

"That's step one done." Niana huffed, standing up. "Can you get Steve ready to go, please? Make sure he's taken the travel sickness medication, the nurse said his concussion would probably give him some trouble on the road. I don't want him to be sick if I'm with Bucky, cause I know he'll start panicking and asking for me-“

Before she could turn and walk away, Sam put both his hands on her shoulders and moved her so she was facing him.

"Take a deep breath." He told her, waiting until she did. "Let it out, slowly."

Niana blew the breath out carefully, her eyes slipping closed. The tensions melted from her shoulder as she followed Sam's deep breathing, allowing it to leach from her body with each exhale.

"You've got this." Sam told her after a few moments of deep breathing. "Say it."

"I've got this." She said, her voice soft.

"Say it like you mean it." Sam pushes, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

Niana opens her eyes, meeting Sam's gaze.

"I've got this." She said again, her voice firmer.

“You do.“ Sam told her, gently patting her back before nudging her in Barnes’ direction.   
  
Steeling herself, Niana began to walk with purpose to his room. She bypassed the new guard - who pointedly jumped to the side as she approached, giving her a tight lipped smile. Apparently, Niana's reputation preceded her. 

She opened the door gently, slipping in and allowing it to lock behind her. She could immediately hear Bucky's soft crying, no longer as hysterical as it once was but still present.

"Barnes?" She said quietly, moving to sit down on the opposite side of the room. "It's Ana. Can you hear me?"

He looked up, his face red and swollen. His chest was heaving with the force of stifling his sobs, and he had pinched his wrist so much that there was a circular black bruise.

"I need you to try to take a deep breath for me, okay?" Niana tells him, gesturing to herself doing it. "Can you copy my breathing?"

He shakes his head, lifting his metal hand to hit his temple.  
"Shut up, shut up, _shut UP!"_

"Hey, Barnes. It’s alright." Niana tries to soothe him, her voice soft. "You're alright, there's nothing here that can hurt you. It's just you and me."

"Not real, isn't real." He mumbles, choking back another sob. "I wanna go _home_."

The last word comes out as a whine, which has Niana's heart aching in her chest. She moves onto her knees, slowly shuffling closer to him. He doesn't move away, though his whole body tenses. 

"Take my hand." She says, holding out the same arm as yesterday. 

Bucky looked up, eyes flickering between her face and her outstretched hand. After a few seconds, he takes a hold of her and searches for her pulse - like she showed him. He seems to relax slightly as she feels her heartbeat.

"Real." Niana says. "I'm real, and I'm here to help. Okay?"

He removes his hand, wrapping his arms back around his knees.  
"They sent you. Real?"

Niana firmly shakes her head.  
"Not real." She tells him. "I work directly for the Avengers. Not S.H.I.E.L.D, and certainly not Hydra."

"S-Steve's alive." He says, forcing the name out of his throat with a choked gasp. "Real?"

"Real." She nods. "He's in his own room right now, getting ready for transport to New York."

“I’m free?” He asks, a tear slipping down his reddened cheeks.

Niana swallows down the lump in her throat.  
“You are, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make it stay that way.”

“The guard yesterday.” He says, wringing his hands together. “Said I’m dangerous.”

Niana had to hold back a growl. Had Barnes hear everything that idiot had said about him?

“Yeah, he did.” She said, her tone noticeably darker. “He’s been fired and you're leaving with me, he's an idiot.”

“Made me smile. You, fighting back.” Bucky tells her, his lips twitching slightly. 

“When I put him in his place?” Niana confirmed, grinning when Bucky nodded. “Well, that is definitely a bonus point.”

Her grin turns into a frown when a small tremor wracks his body.  
“Can I help you put on a jumper? It’s chilly out, and we should get going.”

His hand shoots out, taking hold of her wrist and stopping her from moving. 

“Don’t want- don't leave me.“ He says, his voice soft.

"I'll be right by your side the whole time." Niana assures him. 

He hesitates, eyeing the door across the room with a look of barely hidden fear.   
"Promise?" He asks, looking up at her.

"I promise." Niana says, keeping her eyes locked on his. 

It takes him a few more seconds to let go of her wrist and almost a full minute for him to give her a shake nod, allowing her to move. 

Niana moves over to the small duffel back of clothes she had asked to be delivered last night, pulling out the thick wool jumper. She slowly helps him into it, taking care not to catch the material on the metal plates of his arm. 

"Is that better?" She asks, watching as he snuggles into the warm material.

He doesn't verbally respond, but seeing him lift the soft material up and gently touch it against his face is enough of a confirmation for her.

"I have a van ready to transport us." Niana explained. "You wont be in one of these rooms any more."

"Where?" Bucky asked, looking up at her.

Niana had to physically hold herself back from cooing out loud at him. The long sleeves of his jumper were hiding his hands - he had sweater paws, _it was adorable._

"New York City." She said.

He flinched slightly, his eyebrows furrowing. He opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped himself.

"You can say whatever you want to, don't hold yourself back." Niana told him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I lived there." He said softly, looking slightly far away.

"You used to live in Brooklyn." Niana nods.

He thinks it over for a second and then looks back up at her.  
"You?" He asks.

"I was born in Chicago. I moved to New York for school, then I lived in Malibu for a while, then back to New York." She tells him with a small smile.

He nods his head as she speaks, then whimpers slightly.  
"Where- where are we?"

Niana's face drops in horror. _She hadn't told him where he was._ She schools her face back to a neutral expression and clears her throat.  
"We're in Washington DC."

"Oh." He gasps, his breathing picking up slightly. 

"Do you need more time to calm down?" Niana asks, moving to give him a little space.

"I- urm. I don't-" He stutters for a second, looking at her for help.

"You can take as much time as you need, I'll be right here with you." She tells him. "Just let me know when you're ready to go."

There's a few beats of silence where Niana takes a few deep breaths herself, hoping that Bucky will match his breathing to hers. 

"No cell." He says suddenly.

Niana frowned, turning her questioning gaze back to Bucky.

“No cell, in New York.” He explains, shaking his head at the thought.

Niana recoiled.  
“No, you wont be in a cell.” She told him firmly. “You’ll be in a small apartment - it'll have a bedroom, a living room and a bathroom.”

"Home." He says, so quietly that she wouldn't have heard if she was any further away from him.

"Yes, it can be your home." She says, hoping that the sadness in her tone isn't too noticeable.

"Okay." Barnes nods, pointing towards the door.

"You sure?" She asks, making sure he isn't moving to fast.

“Ready.” He nodded, then reaches out for her hand. “You’ll stay?”

“Yes, I’ll stay.” Niana assured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “Let me just make a quick phone call.”

She pulled out her phone and dialled Sam’s number. He answered on the third ring with a ‘sup’.

“Hey Sam, Barnes is almost ready to go. How’s it going on your end?” Niana asks, keeping hold of Barnes hand as she speaks. 

“ _He’s all dosed up and ready to go, the nurse says he should be out for the whole trip_.” 

“That’s good news.” Niana sighed in relief. “Can you get him situated? We’re about to head out.”

“ _Of course_.” He says. “ _Hey Ana, well done_.”

“Thanks Sam.” Niana smiles. “I’ll see you in a minute.”

She hung up, slipping her phone back in her pocket. Barnes was frowning when she looked back at him. 

“Sam.” He said, more to himself than her. 

"That was Sam, he's a friend." Niana explains.

"He's with- Grant?" The name comes out choked, having almost said Steve's real name by accident.

"Yes, he's getting him ready for transport." Niana nods, moving to stand.

"Sam." He says to himself again as they move across the room. "Wings?"

Niana pauses, turning back to face him.  
"The Falcon." She nods.

Barnes' face falls.  
"I hurt him, his wings."

Niana shakes her head.  
"He knows it wasn't really you, I made sure he understood."

"My hands." He counters, looking at the metal appendage with disgust and clenching his fist.

"It was out of your control, he knows." Niana tells him, gently prying his fist open. 

"Sure?" He asks, nervously shifting on his feet.

"I'm sure." She says firmly, nodding her head.

"Okay." Bucky agrees.

Niana knocks on the door, waiting for the Agent outside to open it and let them out. The two of them stepped out into the corridor, facing the guard.

"Miss Cross, I'm Agent Smith." She introduced herself. "I'm here to escort you to the transport vans."

Immediately, Bucky backed himself away into the wall.  
"No no no-" He started muttering under his breath, his breathing picking up.

Niana turned to him, watching as his gaze stayed stuck on the confused guard with panic clear on his face.

"Hey Barnes, you're alright." Niana looked the guard up and down, spotting what the problem was. "Give me your gun, taser, and handcuffs."

"What?" She asked, the confusion only growing at Niana's request. Clearly she hadn't been properly briefed on the situation.

"Now, Agent." Niana snapped. The woman pulled them off her belt and handed them over.

"Hey Barnes, look." Niana said, getting his attention. She took a few steps back from him and showed him the weapons, then threw them all in the trash bin. "All gone. Okay?"

Barnes, still shaking, looked back over at the Agent.   
"Don't hurt me." He said, his voice quiet.

The Agent's look of confusion turned to one of understanding, and then sympathy.  
"I won't, Mr Barnes." She told him firmly. "I'm only here to make sure that you get safely to the van. I'm here for your protection."

"No weapons." He told her, holding a shaking hand out for Niana who stepped to his side.

"I have no more weapons on me, Mr Barnes." She promised, raising her arms and turning in a circle to prove her point. "You have my word."

Barnes stayed where he was for a minute, levelling out his breathing again. Niana whispered encouraging words to him, tightly squeezing his hand in support.

"Okay." He finally said, giving the agent as much of a smile as he could.

"Are you ready?" Niana asked him. "You don't have to be, take all the time you need."

"Ready." He nods, attaching himself to Niana's side. 

Niana smiles at him, gesturing for Agent Smith to lead them on. She moves in front of them, and Barnes relaxes slightly. Niana gives herself a little pat on the back, following the guard away from that horrible room.

***

Niana spots Sam standing next to the second transport van, the other one containing Steve was a little ways away so as not to accidentally trigger Bucky. Sam smiles warmly as they approach.

Surprisingly, Bucky spoke first.  
“Sam, wings.” He says, recognising the shorter man.

“Yeah man, that’s me.” Sam confirmed. “You doing okay?“

Bucky glanced over to Niana, hesitating. 

"You can talk to him, its okay." Niana assured, nodding her head at Sam. "He's like me, he helps people."

Bucky turned back to Sam and nodded slightly.  
“I’m okay.” He said, his voice quiet. 

“That’s good, I hope it stays that way.” Sam told him, nodding his head. 

Bucky doesn't respond, just grips Niana’s hand a little tighter. 

“Why don't you get seated so I can finish talking to Sam?“ She suggested, looking over at Bucky. 

He immediately shook his head, stepping closer to her.  
“No. D-Don’t leave.”

“It’s okay, I’m not going anywhere.” Niana said, her voice placating. “What if I leave the door open, so you can see us? Would that help?”

Bucky didn’t say anything for a second, glancing between Sam and the van. Niana momentarily wondered if he was calculating how quickly he could get from the van to her.  
“Yes.” He finally agreed.

“Okay, pick a seat.” Niana told him. 

The van had two long benches on either side of it, both with little divisions making up multiple ‘seats’. It didn’t escape her notice that Bucky picked the seat closest to her and Sam, but she didn’t mention it. 

“Good, I’ll be right where you can see me. Okay?”

Niana waited for Bucky to nod his approval before moving back towards Sam.

The two of them moved slightly further away, close enough that Bucky could see but not hear them. 

“How’s he doing?” Sam asked.

“I think it was some sort of hallucination, he didn’t think I was real when I got there.“ Niana told him, reaching up to rub at her tired eyes. 

This day had barely begun and it was already tiring. Sam gently pulled her hands away, smiling at her. 

“You talk him down?” He asked, discreetly nodding at the mostly calm super soldier. 

“Something like that.” She agrees.

Sam nods his head, his smile still present.  
“You’re doing great, Ana. I’m proud of you.” He says.

Normally, Niana might be offended if someone said that to her. But with Sam, it was so genuine that she couldn’t find it in herself.

“Thanks, Sam.” She said, finally flashing a smile of her own. 

“I can see why Steve is so attached to you, you’re pretty special.” Sam told her, a cheeky look on his face. 

“Don’t be a kiss ass.” Niana laughed, rolling her eyes. 

“Fine.” Sam conceded, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t push yourself, okay?“ 

“I’ll try.” Niana said, knowing there was no point in promising - she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it. 

Sam seemed to already know this, as he didn’t call her out on it. 

“Don’t hesitate to call me - whether you want to gossip or you just need a break from that crazy life of yours.“ Sam said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.“

“I will definitely keep that in mind, thank you.” Niana says, pulling him in for a quick hug. 

“See you soon.” Sam assured her, turning and heading to his car. 

Niana climbed aboard the transport van, closing the door behind her. She sat opposite Bucky, leaving him enough leg room but also sitting close enough to offer him comfort if he needed it.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked him.

He looked out of the window, watching as Sam climbed into his car and started driving away. Turning back to face her, he nodded his head.  
"Yes."

"Then lets go." Niana said, gently rapping her knuckles on the van wall.

The driver started the van, and off they went.

***

Tony was looking through some of the Winter Soldier files, the ones Niana had sent him during her briefing last night. She had wanted him to be prepared, to understand who he was bringing into his home. She also said that there was something else she needed to speak with him about, something important.

The thing about Tony is that he's incredibly nosy. He doesn't like it when people know things that he doesn't, especially people close to him. Niana was always someone who told him everything, it was an essential part of their relationship. He didn't think she was keeping secrets, per se, he just didn't think she was being completely honest with him. 

He looked over the notes she sent him, feeling sick while reading what had been done to Barnes. Her hypothesis on the memory wipes was not unfounded, it didn’t take much digging to find an old security tape showing the memory wipe process - along with the words to reprogram him. Tony made sure any copy of that tape other than his was removed from the internet.

He was horrified. Barnes was a prisoner of Hydra, and he was tortured for the better part of seventy years. Someone his father had told him stories about, best friend of America’s greatest hero, and this was his fate?

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, Jarvis interrupted his reading.

_“Sir, I’ve found another tape. You may want to prepare yourself, this may be very distressing.”_

“Show me, J.” Tony said, not realising what he was about to see 

It was his parents. More specifically, it was his parents being brutally murdered. This must be what Niana hadn't told him. She knew that Hydra had his parents killed, and she was bringing their killer _into his home_.

Except that wasn’t fair of him to say, was it? Didn’t he just say that Barnes was a _prisoner_ of Hydra, not a member? He didn’t know any better, he was just doing what he was told. Is this not in the same vain as Obadiah's double dealing, where Tony was just a pawn for him? Could Tony really blame him, simply because it was Barnes' hands?

God, he needed a drink.

***

Niana lead Bucky into his apartment, watching as he looked around in awe.

“So this is where you'll be staying.” She told him, letting him wander further in. “For now, it’s pretty empty of accessories. Only essentials, but you’ll be given cutlery with your meals. Just a precaution, until your full examination has been done.”

Niana had tried to at least give him cutlery - she understood not having a razor to shave with, or steak knife, but a plastic fork and knife? - but it was decided that it was a necessary step for now.

“I’m dangerous.” Bucky said, reading between the lines. 

Niana immediately shook her head.  
“No, you're not. And once I prove that, you'll be given those things.”

Bucky frowned.  
“But I’m - broken?“

Niana paused for a second, thinking about her answer.  
“Maybe.” She settled with, tilting her head in thought. “But we all are, at least a little bit. Right?”

“You?” He asked, watching as she nervously shifted her weight between her feet.

“Yeah, I’ve got a few cracks and chips.” She told him, smiling sadly. 

Her answer seemed to distress him a little, so Niana decided to move on. 

“I’m going to help you.“ Niana told him. “I have my own room here, so I can be here whenever you need me. You just have to ask Jarvis for me. He’s going to speak now, okay? Don’t be alarmed. Introduce yourself, J.”

Bucky seemed to tense his whole body, waiting for whatever Niana was showing him.

“ _Hello sir, my name is Jarvis. I am an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark, I run the tower_.”

He only slightly flinched, looking up at the roof for the source of the voice. 

“Woah. Cool.” He muttered.   
  
Niana smiles, remembering how Steve had told her all about Bucky’s science obsession. 

“I know, he’s pretty cool.” She agreed, smiling at him. “Do you want to make a code, something easy for you to say, so that Jarvis knows when to call me?“

Bucky looked away from the roof with a frown, like the words were foreign to him.  
“Code?” He asked. 

“Yeah.” She confirmed. “Something only you, me and Jarvis know. Our own little secret.“ She whispered the last part, which successes in getting an amused huff from him. 

He then frowned, wringing his hands as he thought.  
“I don’t, I don’t know what-“ He started to stutter.

Niana reaches out, cupping his hands in her own.  
“It can be anything.” She told him, her tone reassuring. “A word, a phrase, a hand signal.“

Bucky looked over at her.  
“Ocean blue.” He said after a few seconds. 

“Is that your favourite colour?” Niana asked.

He shook his head, looking down at the floor.  
“No, your eyes.” He explained, sounding a little embarrassed at his explanation. 

“Oh, yeah that works.” Niana felt better cheeks colour slightly, nervously clearing her throat. “You got that Jarvis?”

“ _If Mr Barnes says code word 'ocean blue', I will alert you immediately_.”

“Discreetly please, Jarvis.” Niana confirms. “If I’m with anyone other than Cap, send the alert to my phone.”

“ _Of course, miss_.”

“Jarvis, you’ve known me for six years. How many times must I ask you to call me Ana?” Her tone was exasperated, like she’d had this argument many times before.

“ _At least once more, miss_.”

“Always a sweet talker, J.” She said, rolling her eyes. She turned back to Bucky, tilting her head in the direction of his bedroom. “C'mon, I'll show you to your room.”

***

After getting Bucky settled in his room and promising to come see him first thing in the morning, Niana left him to get comfortable with his new environment. He was confined to his apartment for now, and was being monitored by Jarvis, but it was better than the square room he was being held in before.

"Hey J, take me to see Tony please." Niana said, stepping into the elevator.

" _I'm afraid I can't do that, miss. Sir has engaged the 'King Of The Castle' protocol_."

"Why?" Niana asked as the doors closed, looking up at one of Jarvis' security cameras.

" _I am not at liberty to say_."

Niana sighed, rubbing her slightly pulsing forehead - this whole day was one big headache.  
"Take me to him, J. 'Doctors Orders' override."

The elevator started moving immediately.

" _Override accepted, miss. Sir is in his lab, and has been for the last twenty three hours_."

"What set him off?" She asked, shifting her weight on her feet.

“ _He watched some distressing footage in the Hydra files, it triggered a panic attack_.”

Niana stilled, her heart stopping in her chest.  
"Of his parents?" She confirmed, her voice quiet.

“ _Yes, miss_.” 

Even Jarvis sounded distressed, like he was delivering bad news. Niana dropped her head into her hands, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself.

"Oh Tony, I’m so sorry." She muttered to herself.

Jarvis let her off outside Tony's floor, promising to watch over Bucky while he settled in. Niana put in her code for the lab doors, overriding Tony's 'no entry' protocol.

His head snapped up when she walked in, face bright red. There were tools and pieces of scrap metal strewn around him, some things had very clearly been thrown. There was a smouldering hole in the far wall, looking all too much like it had been caused by one of his repulsors.

"Get out, Niana." He spat, turning away from her.

"No." She replied, tentatively stepping towards him.

"I said get out!" He screamed, picking up a spanner and throwing it in her direction. 

Niana didn't flinch, knowing that Tony would never cause her harm - no matter what kind of state he was in. The spanner missed her by a wide berth, clattering to the floor behind her.

"You know I'm not going to do that." She told him, leaning against his work desk within arms reach of him.

Tony's chest heaved as he took deep, angry breaths. Niana watched him, waiting.

"They could have killed Howard, I would have been able to get over that." Tony said quietly, his voice filled with venom. "That man made more enemies in a year than he made friends his entire life - I’m more than certain that he had it coming. But mom?"

"I know, Tony." Niana said, her voice almost a whisper in the otherwise silent room. The lab was oddly unsettling without Tony's classic rock blaring. "I wanted to tell you in person, this is not how I wanted you to find out."

Tony shook his head, reaching up to pull at his messy hair.  
"You thought I'd blame him if you didn't explain, I figured." He looked over at her, waiting for her to nod in agreement. "I know its not Barnes' fault, the shit hes been through? No one with even half a brain cell could blame him for what they made him do." He paused, taking a deep, shaky breath. "But god, Ana, it's my _mom_."

Tony's voice broke on the last word.

“I know, Tony.” Niana said softly. She opened her arms for him. “Come here.”

Tony moved straight into her hold, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her shoulder as his body was racked with sobs. Niana slowly lowered them to the floor, Tony so close that he almost sitting in her lap.

"I shouldn't have looked." Tony cried, his voice close to a whine. "Why do I have to be so stupid, why couldn't I have just waited for you?"

Niana reached one hand up to run it through his hair, gently scratching at his scalp.   
"You watched it all." She said, simultaneously a question and a statement.

"Yeah." Tony mumbled.

"I'm so sorry." She told him, tightening her hold on him ever so slightly.

"I can't- I don't know how to- I just-" He stuttered, pulling in shallow breaths as he struggled to hold in his sobs.

"I know, just let it out." Niana said, resting her head on top of his.

They stayed seated on the lab floor until Tony finally calmed and his tears dried. Niana pushed his hair back off his forehead, watching his tired eyes struggle to stay open. 

"C'mon, you're going to your room." Niana told him, lifting them both up from the floor. "And you're not allowed back in here for at least forty eight hours. Understood?"

“Yeah.” Tony nodded. It was a testament to his emotional state that he didn’t even try to argue. 

"Jarvis, lock the lab." Niana said, walking them towards the opening elevator doors. Tony was leaning heavily on her shoulder, his hand tightly clutching hers. "Engage the 'take a break' protocol, please."

“ _Protocol engaged miss. And might I offer my apologies, Sir. I should not have shared the video with you_.”

"That's okay J, not your fault." Tony told his AI as the elevator took them to the penthouse. "You were doing what I asked. I don't blame you, buddy."

Niana walked Tony through his suite, rifling through his bedroom drawers for a clean pair of flannel bottoms and a loose white t-shirt. She left the room for a few moments so he could change, letting herself back in when Jarvis gave her the all clear.

Tony was seated on the edge of his bed, nervously fiddling with his hands. Niana gently pushed his shoulders, manoeuvring him so he was laying down. She lifted his bed covers, tucking him in and sitting by his side.

"You're going to be okay, Tony." She told him, running her fingers through his hair again. "We'll get you through this."

"Thank you, Ana." Tony said, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"It's what you pay me for." Niana joked, feeling a flash of relief when the corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile.

“Seriously, I don't know what I’d do without you.” He told her, his voice soft as he began to fall asleep. 

Niana stayed perched on the edge of his bed, softly playing with his hair while he drifted off. 

She was still amazed sometimes at how far they’d come. When they first met, he wouldn’t let her anywhere other than the main room of his Malibu mansion. She wasn’t allowed in his personal areas, and she certainly wasn’t allowed to see him in a vulnerable state. 

Now, she knew more about him than anyone - she knew all his insecurities, all his fears. She was the only one, besides Pepper, who could get him to go to stop working and go to sleep. 

And sleep was definitely something he needed more of. 

As quietly as she could, she tiptoed out of his room. His deep breathing followed her to the elevator, Jarvis’ quietened voice promising you watch over him.

With that, she let him rest.

***

Niana’s next stop was to check in on her idiot big brother. His medication had finally worn off, so he was awake when she got there. 

It was strange, seeing him all battered and bruised. Realistically, she knew he had been in a fight. But knowing that and seeing him laid up on his couch, unable to move to greet her, were two very different things. 

“How you doing, big guy?” Niana asked, sitting carefully beside him. 

Steve, oblivious to his own pain, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. 

“I’m alright, Nia.” He told her, holding her for a second before pulling back. “Is Bucky okay?“

Niana nodded.  
“He’s all set up in his room, safe and sound.“

Steve seemed to deflate a little, the tension in his shoulders loosening.  
“Good, okay.”

“I’m going to meet with him every morning, set up a routine with him.” Niana said, explaining the plan the had formulated. “In a few days I’ll have a nutritionist meet with him and once he’s more comfortable, I’ll have him meet with Banner and Cho.”

Steve nodded, approving her ideas. Despite not needing his approval to do her job, it relaxed her slightly that Steve trusted her judgement. 

“Thank you for doing this.” He said, his eyes slightly glassy with unshed tears. 

“You don’t have to thank me, Steve.” She says, her voice quiet. 

Niana gave him a second to process, before grinning at him.  
“Want to tell me why you went for a swan dive out of your shower?“

Steve groaned, covering his eyes in embarrassment.  
“I thought I was okay, turns out I wasn’t.” He says, shrugging his shoulders. 

He winced at the movement, and Niana pretended not to notice. 

“Wow, Stevie, you work that one out all on your own?“ She comments, her voice dry and teasing. 

“Shut up.“ He laughs, gently punching her in the shoulder. 

“ _Excuse my interruption, miss, but you have a code ‘ocean blue’_ .”

“Thanks Jarvis.” Niana told him, standing up to place a quick kiss on Steve’s forehead. “This is important, I’ll be back later. Love you!”

She headed for the elevator, barely hearing Steve call out a ‘love you too’ behind her.

***

Niana slipped into Barnes’ apartment, looking around for him. She found him standing behind the couch in the living room, pacing back and forwards. She tentatively approached. 

“Hey Barnes, what’s wrong?” She asks, edging closer to him. 

“I umm, I just-“ He cut himself off, a soft blush spreading down his cheeks and neck. 

Niana analysed him for a second, then leaned slightly back in amusement. 

"You wanted to see if I would come." Niana guessed, a small smile gracing her lips.

”Sorry.“ Bucky said, his voice quiet and an ashamed look on his face.

“Don’t be sorry, Barnes.” Niana told him, hoping that her smile would settle him. “I promise if you call a code ocean blue, I will be here as soon as I can.”

Bucky still looked unsure, so she reached out for his hand and continued. He let her take hold of his metal hand with no hesitation. 

“If I’m not in the tower for whatever reason, Jarvis will patch you through to my phone and I’ll still be able to talk to you. Won’t you J?” Niana directed the question up to Jarvis’ nearest camera.

“ _Of course_.”

“Okay.” Bucky nodded his head, still looking slightly sheepish.

"Do you feel better, knowing that I'll be here when you need me?" Niana asked, patiently waiting for his reaction.

It took him a moment to collect himself, then his shoulders slumped slightly.  
"Yes." He agreed, sighing. “Safe.”

Niana gave his hand a supportive squeeze, smiling at him.  
"Good." She said, taking her hand back. "How do you feel now?"

“Not bad, not good.” He said, holding out his only slightly shaking hand in a so-so gesture. “Middle.”

With everything going on with him - all that he'd been through, all the trauma that lay buried deep inside his head - Niana thought that 'middle' was a pretty good place to start.


	3. Step By Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets a schedule, Steve needs a hug, and Niana struggles to keep up.

**Day 2**

It had been a long time since Niana had found waking up in the morning to be a task. The previous day had been extremely difficult, for everyone involved. Steve was still healing, Bucky was getting used to his new environment, Tony was in severe emotional distress, and Niana was trying to juggle helping everyone at once. 

Despite wishing she could sleep the day away to rest and recuperate from yesterday's emotional damage, Niana forced herself out of bed. She quickly got herself ready for the day and headed down to the cafeteria. As part of her recovery plan for Bucky, she wanted to have breakfast with him every day. She hoped that by doing so she could establish a routine for him, while also gauging how he's feeling - that would hopefully tell her whether he was going to have a good day or a bad day.

She chose some plain toast for him, something light so that they didn't upset his stomach, and a bowl of oatmeal with forest fruit stirred in for herself. She was outside his room at eight am on the dot, as promised.

She knocked on his door, patiently waiting for him to call out a quiet 'come in'. 

She found him sitting cross legged on his couch, turning to face her as she neared. He gave her a slight smile, barely an upturn of his lips, but it made Niana grin. 

"Morning." She said, hoping the cheery tone she put on hid her exhaustion. "I got some breakfast for us." 

She sat down on the armchair, choosing to leave Bucky his space on the couch. She slid his plate across the small table for him, which he tentatively picked up. He examined her for a few moments before tearing off a bite and nibbling on it.

She dug into her own breakfast with relish, almost spilling it down her dress shirt in the process. They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Bucky put down his plate of unfinished toast.

"Okay?" He asked, slightly strangled as if he had to force the word out. Niana swallowed her spoonful, moving to set it down as her brow furrowed and she sat upright. Was something wrong? Was he okay?

As if reading her mind, or more likely her facial expression, Bucky shook his head.  
"No, not me. You."

"Am I okay?" Niana confirmed, her concern softening as he shyly nodded. "Yes, I'm okay. Just didn't sleep very well."

"Difficult, yesterday." Bucky says, picking up another corner of his toast.

"Yeah, yesterday was difficult for a few people." Niana sighs, smiling gently at him. "Moving to a new place always is, and there was some other things going on too."

Bucky hesitates for a second, chewing on his bottom lip.  
"My fault?" He finally bites out, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the plush cream carpet.

"God, no." Niana said, her voice firm. "Bucky, this is not on you. I promise. Sometimes I forget that I can't do a hundred things at once."

"Busy." Bucky nodded his understanding. 

"Very." Niana huffed out with a dry laugh.

"Skip, tomorrow." Bucky told her, gesturing to their plates. "Sleep in."

Niana smiled, shaking her head.  
"That's really sweet, Bucky, but you're my priority right now. Don't worry about me."

Bucky gave her as much of a smile as he could, picking up his last square of toast. Despite her words, he didn't believe what she was saying. For the first time since they had met, he thought she was lying to him.

**Day 4**

Niana strolled into the penthouse, picking up dirty clothes as she went. Dum-E was milling around, holding what looked like a smoothie - one that she definitely wouldn't trust enough to drink - and Tony was on the couch, upside down, holding a StarkPad and mumbling to himself. 

"Hey Tony, how are we feeling today?" She asked, putting all the laundry in a pile for U to deal with. A crash sounded from the back room; Butterfingers was obviously up to something, as was standard for the robot.

Tony flipped so he was sitting right way up, grabbing his coffee cup and draining it.   
"Like we wanna drink the mini bar dry, or possibly a liquor store, but apart from that - peachy." He replied, throwing her an incredibly sarcastic thumbs up.

Niana moved to the kitchen, pulling out ingredients to make sandwiches for the two of them  
"Remind me of our third rule, please." She said, pointing to the barstool in front of her. 

Tony huffed, shuffling over and practically throwing himself down onto the stool.   
"Drink in moderation or not at all, I _know_." He moaned. "But I told you how I was feeling! Don't I get brownie points for that?"

Niana smiled, sliding him over a fresh cup of coffee - just how he likes it - and a sandwich.  
"Yes. I'll be sure to tell Pepper to put a gold star on your good behaviour chart." She said, digging in to her own lunch.

"Pft." Tony scoffed, his voice muffled around the food in his mouth. "She doesn't have one of those. Right?"

Niana smirked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Right?" He emphasised, putting his sandwich back down and staring at her across the breakfast bar.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose that information." She responded dryly, turning away from him as his jaw dropped.

_"HEY!"_

**Day 8**

"You're looking much better." Niana said, turning Steve's head gently in her hands. 

Most of his bruises had faded to a soft yellow colour and he could now move around without flinching. His broken bones were all fused back together, though there was still some lingering pain in his collarbone when he raised his arm.

"Doc says I should be cleared by the end of the week." Steve tells her, smiling. "But she wants me to take it easy for a while. Something about being shot and almost drowning being 'bad for your health'." 

The two were sat on Steve's couch, steaming cups of tea in their hands. After a long day, Steve invited her over for dinner - just the two of them and a stress free evening to relax.

"I agree." Niana said, sipping her drink. "Build yourself slowly up to your old routines, don't push yourself until you're sure your body is ready - super soldier or not, you went through one hell of an ordeal."

"Speaking of not pushing yourself-" Steve started, but Niana cut him off with a groan.

"Stevie, don't-" Niana tried to interrupt, but Steve wasn't deterred. 

"You haven't been sleeping." He said, looking her over. Her face was paler than usual, the bags under her eyes looking more pronounced under the fluorescent lights.

"You dont know that!" She replied, raising her voice slightly. She placed her cup down on the table, inching away from the soldier.

"Nia, even a blind man could see the exhaustion on your face." Steve told her, his voice taking on a pleading edge. "You look worse than Tony does during one of his lab binges, and we've both seen him in some states."

Niana ignored him, changing the topic.  
"He's still not allowed in his lab, you know that? Pepper's got him doing paperwork for her, and he's actually doing it willingly-"

"Don't deflect!" Steve snapped, cutting across her. 

Nia flinched, sinking further down into the couch. Steve mumbled an apology, reaching out to take her hand. They sat in the awkward silence for a moment, until he let out a deep sigh.

" _Willingly?_ Are you sure?" He asked, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "That doesn't sound even remotely right."

Niana grinned at him.  
"Hand on heart, he's doing it without even being asked. Pepper's loving it, says it's her best vacation in years."

Steve smiled back, though it didn't reach his eyes.  
"So he's struggling, huh?"

"We all are, I think." Niana replied in defeat, recognising that her non-answers were getting her nowhere. "It's a learning curve, and we need time to heal too. We're working on it."

The two fell into silence again, Niana moving so her head lay on Steve's uninjured shoulder. Steve lifted his arm and draped it across her shoulder, gently stroking her hair. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax - if just for a moment.

"You need to get some sleep. I-" Steve stopped, deliberating his next words. "I'm worried about you."

Niana tilted her head up to look at him, her small smile looking more sad than comforting.  
"I'm working on it."

**Day 14**

Niana was finishing up the half hour lunch break she had allowed herself when her apartment door opened. She called out a hello, expecting it to be Steve, and was more than surprised when Sam walked in. They had been keeping each other updated, so she wasn't expecting him to be here for another two weeks at least.

"Hi Sam." She said, standing up to add her sandwich plate to her growing pile of dishes. Lately, she hadn't even had the time to load them into her dishwasher. She really needed to get on top of that - add it to her long list of stuff to do.

"Hey, super therapist." He replied, nodding to the chair in her living room. "Do me a favour and sit down for a minute."

"It's great to see you again, but I really dont have the time right now-" She tried to protest, picking up her folder for her afternoon meeting with Bucky.

"And I really wasn't asking." Sam cut in, taking a hold of her arm and leading her into her living room. "Sit your ass down, now."

"Sam, I actually have things to do." She said, fighting back as he took the paperwork out of her hands and tossed it onto the table.

"Niana, stop. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and relax into that stupidly expensive armchair." Sam said, pushing her so that she was sitting. 

He sat down on the couch next to her, gesturing for her to match her breathing to his own. She did, and after a few breaths her body dropping like a puppet without strings. She slumped across the arm of her chair, allowing her eyes to fall shut.

"God, I'm so tired." She sighed, attempting to discreetly wipe away the tears that were spilling over.

"I know." Sam said, his voice sounding genuinely concerned. "Steve called me to ask when I'd be getting here, he's worried about you. But that's not what made me come."

Niana tilted her head up to look at him, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.  
"Really? What did then? I can't imagine it was Tony, he'd have you running for the hills." She tried to joke, but the exhaustion in her voice caused it to fall flat. Despite it, Sam let out a small chuckle.

"You're probably right." He agreed, pulling out his phone. "I'm here because I got a text courtesy of Jarvis, from Barnes."

That got Niana's attention. She sat up straight, leaning closer to him.  
"You what?"

"' **Ana. Needs help. Worried. Please**.'" Sam reads from his phone, turning it to show her. "I got on the first flight here."

Sure enough, there it was. Niana sighed, letting Sam tuck his phone away again.  
"I thought I was covering it up well, I didn't want him to worry."

"You thought wrong. You're burning out, girl." Sam told her, his voice patient as ever. "You're not doing anyone any favours if you dont rest - its gonna compromise your ability to do the job. As your friend, I'm telling you to chill the fuck out." He paused for a second as she let out a small laugh.

"And as a fellow therapist, I'm telling you that I will be taking over on the Steve front for now. You dont have enough time in a day to deal with two super soldiers and an eccentric billionaire."

Niana sighed, moving to stand again.  
"Sam, I can't just abandon-"

Sam pushed her back into her seat by her shoulders.  
"You're **not** , okay? So dont even say it." He says, allowing a hint of frustration to enter his voice. "Goddamn it, Niana, you're not abandoning Steve. You're focusing your energy on his brainwashed ex assassin best friend and your boss - who literally _hired_ you to be his therapist. You can't help everyone."

Niana huffed out another sigh, leaning back in her chair.  
"That's a stupid rule."

Sam stood, moving to perch on the arm of her chair and place a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
"I know, kid."

"Not a kid."

"Whatever you say, kid."


End file.
